Lost
by franxie
Summary: A night of misfortunes leads Risa to a truth she never expected. Find out how she recovers what two hearts lost by being lost herself.
1. When the Best of Luck Strikes

Disclaimer! I don't own DN Angel.

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A/N: I haven't published anything in a while. Nothing looked worthy enough from what I've been writing. T-T

This one was written about two years ago, but I made a lot of revision… A LOT. This was a oneshot, but it looked too long to fit the category, so I divided it to tolerable lengths.

This was inspired by a boring walk along a dark street with dogs lurking around the corners. A 'what if…' scenario struck my mind, and I was lucky to have the adrenaline to write it down.

Anyway, enjoy.

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**Lost**

**i. When the 'best of luck' strikes**

"Okay... a turn to the left, straight ahead, then... oh, crap! I guess this street is not any better!"

A deep sigh was given off by a frustrated girl who was then alone in the middle of a strange place. "Alright… perhaps I should go back..." She turned around and dragged her feet back to where she came from, trying to figure out how she was to escape 'misery town.' "Okay…this time, I'll try the opposite street. Perhaps that will take me to a much familiar spot… somewhere closer home…"

After moments of uncertain walking, Risa reached the end of the other street she entered. And oh, would you look at it… a dead end. Now, she's clenching her teeth and fists, so pissed with her forsaken luck. She let out an exasperated sigh and decided she'll rest for a while, as she could feel her toes sore from hours-long of walking. She sat down on the ground, leaning against the dead-end wall.

Recalling the series of unfortunate events that brought her there, she yelled, "This is all Riku's fault!" Their driver/butler/bodyguard has gone to vacation. It was winter, and for once in his life, he was out for the holidays, leaving the Harada twins home alone, and therefore requiring them to move about by themselves. This wasn't a problem to Riku. After all, she does a lot of house chores even with him around. But to Risa? This was the worst thing to ever happen. A catastrophe; and in time for the approaching holidays, too. What luck. She can't even wash the dishes without shattering half the total number of plates! So Riku was forced to do almost everything – dishes, laundry, etc.

"And you? I'd make you do something veeery simple," Riku had a little grin painted on her face as she revealed her task, "you take care of the groceries… well, if that's not too hard for you to do." She added with a slight intention to tease. "Though, if you can't, just-"

"No! I'll do it! I _can_ do it!" Risa interrupted, insisting that she'll get in charge of that 'simple' task. This though, is not because she wanted to, but because she doesn't want her sister to "win" over her again. Riku's words somewhat challenged her, and she'll do everything to give her twin no reason to mock or tease her.

Then, the fateful morning came. As she was about to shop at the nearest grocery store, she found out that it was closed for some reason, leaving her no choice—in her opinion, that is—but to go somewhere a bit farther; somewhere unfamiliar. And, like all other realizations that occur only when they could do nothing better than grind the conscience to fine powder with guilt, her realization dawned upon her just now: SHE DID HAVE A CHOICE—only that she didn't choose to go back home because she didn't want to hear her twin's dear mocking laughter. When she finally decided to return home and accept 'defeat', it was a bit too late-–she simply lost her wallet.

Now that she thought about it, the root of these all finally surfaced and revealed itself: HER PRIDE. She sighed and murmured to herself, "No Risa. It's not Riku's fault. It's yours. It's your pride. Thanks to your stupid pride, now you're stuck here at such an untimely hour in the middle of nowhere, hungry, feeling cold."

This 'nowhere' she talked about is a place that seemed to be some part of Azumano, but she can't be sure; maybe because it's too dark, or maybe she's just so not feeling well to give a damn to details. All she knew was that she wanted to leave. How did she get here, anyway? She's not sure. Perhaps the wrong bus, or the wrong street, or station… damn! Now everything's wrong! She stood up and took her phone from her pocket—only to be reminded how drained its battery was. The wind was getting colder, the night was getting darker; the stars and the moon were one by one hiding behind the clouds.

"Oh no… I don't have a good feeling about this." she said as she looked up at the sky. She started walking again… to where? She didn't know either. She hasn't gone too far when it started snowing. "Oh no…" she ran, searching for a shed or something… well… rather in vain.

She was starting to feel weak. Gasping for air and freezing, she leaned against a light post. Then suddenly, the light went off. Now the place was even darker—and colder. To make things worse, she saw dogs–-not pure bred, domesticated, cute ones—but huge, black, and fierce-looking "monsters". The two were staring at her, growling, and then, barking. Next thing she knew, she was running for her life. She ran as fast as she could, not really knowing where to go. She held her head up and screamed "When will all these stop?" as she ran. She then looked back at the dogs that were still chasing her and said, "What could get worse?" Then suddenly, as if fate was too eager to answer her question…

"Ow!" she cried as she felt her body hit the cold snowy ground. _"That's what…"_ she tripped and stumbled, and now the dogs are nearing her. As they were getting closer, she closed her eyes and kept whispering, "Stay away from me… please, stay away…" she can hear their growls get louder.

"Stop!"

Yelled a voice, a familiar voice. It sounded like it came straight from heaven's gate—though, it did come a bit late.

She opened her eyes and saw the dogs run cheerfully to that voice, whose owner's face wasn't clear to her. She saw him bend over to pat the dogs-his face still covered by the shadow of his hood.

"Playing during working hours, huh? I'll just deal with you next time. Now you can go back to the headquarters." She heard him say in a tone used only by bosses who would apparently fire their subordinates once given a chance. The dogs barked, as if saying _"Yes, sir!"_ and started to run away.

She raised herself from the ground using both arms. Her 'savior' was walking toward her, but his face remained hidden in the shadows. Suddenly, he shone a flashlight on her to see her face.

With a hint of surprise, he called out.

"Harada-san?"

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A/N: I feel so rude to Risa on this one ._. evil, evil me.:C

I'm sorry for the very little SatoxRisa on this chapter. Anyway, the next chapter will come after I finish editing it… and you can have as much SatoxRisa as you want there.

Review? Leave one if you feel like it.

Jaa, ne.


	2. An Angel Comes to the Rescue

Disclaimer: Do I really need to repeat the heartbreaking truth?

Just kidding. I don't own DN Angel... et cetera, et cetera.

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A/N: As much as I wanted to update sooner, it was really impossible. Somebody's always using my computer, and by the time I get it back, I'd be too sleepy to edit or type anything. Ugh… Tragic. Anyway, here it goes! I'm really sorry it came just now.

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ii. An Angel Comes to the Rescue**

Risa was now sitting on the spot where she stumbled. Blinded by the light, she blinked several times to help her eyes adjust. Then finally, she recognized him.

"Hiwatari-kun!" She was so surprised to see someone she knows in that seemingly forsaken place; but more than that, she was glad. Satoshi helped her stand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him in wonder… and somewhat, in relief.

"Am I not supposed to ask you that instead?" he said, taking his jacket off and then draping it on Risa's shoulders.

"Uh… thanks…" a blush crept onto her face without her awareness. "uhmm… I was on my way home… err… supposed to be on my way home but…"

"You got lost... is that right?" Satoshi finished the story for her. Risa looked away in embarrassment and nodded. "Come with me to the headquarters. I'll send you home." Her face brightened with hope at his words, especially at the last he uttered; finally, home. So, they walked together under the snow, which was then falling faster. No words were spoken, making it a little eerie for Risa.

"Hiwatari-kun…" she broke the silence between them "aren't you feeling cold? I could return your jacket if you like."

"I'm fine." he replied plainly without even glancing at her.

"Uh... alright…" Risa said with a sigh. She felt her head throb intensely for a moment, making her halt at once. She massaged her forehead with her index finger and thumb. Later on, she asked, "Are we there yet?"

"Still a bit far."

The answer gained a frown from Risa. She sighed again. '_This is bad._' she thought. It was only then that he noticed she wasn't taking anymore steps.

"What's the problem?" he stopped as well and looked back to ask. She's been feeling weak even before they started walking, and the cold winds and snow only made it worse. She knew she was already pushing herself too much. She's been struggling with dizziness for quite some time now, and she knew that she's already nearing her limitation. The view in front of her was starting to blur.

"N-nothing…" She lied as she dared to take a few steps to catch up with Satoshi, who was about a meter away. However, taking a single step revealed the truth. At the attempt, she lost her balance and tripped, but Satoshi moved quickly.

"Risa!" Oops. First name uttered, honorific dropped; but he was too shocked and worried to take notice of that. Satoshi caught her in his arms and saved her from falling onto the cold snowy ground. He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature; Risa was burning with fever.

"Hiwatari-kun… I'm—" she wanted to lie and insist she's fine, but she was cut off by Satoshi's yelling.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Satoshi asked, the calmness in his tone decreased significantly.

"I… I didn't want to be a trouble… to you…" Risa replied, trying to conceal the fear his unusual tone caused.

"Bother me? You should have thought about yourself first!" Rage was in his voice, but fear was in his eyes. This very rare facade he possessed at the moment all sprang from grave anxiety. His heart was throbbing with concern, so much of it that he can't believe he wasn't able to control his own feelings, and that he actually shouted at her. "I… I mean…" he wanted to make up for the shouting, for he saw how Risa was frightened by his sudden outburst. Never had he shown anyone anything like that.

"I'm… I'm so sorry…" she said very faintly that the words came out as a whisper.

"No… there's nothing to be sorry about." He gently lifted her in his arms saying "It's me who should apologize for yelling at you. I'm sorry." He was beginning to regain his composure. They started a new journey, to his apartment instead of the police headquarters this time.

Risa was in Satoshi's arms under the snow. The situation was too uncomfortable for her, so she tried to beg herself out of the situation "Hiwatari-kun… Please put me down… I can walk by myself…".

"If I do that, you'd end up falling on your knees again. You can't even stand on your own." Satoshi answered softly. She blushed, feeling the concern in his words. "By the way…" he seemed hesitant to say the rest. "I-I'm… I'm taking you to my apartment. It's the nearest place from here that I know, and I don't think it would be safe for you to travel all the way home."

"What? But…" Risa tried to protest but Satoshi interrupted.

"Just for tonight…" he continued "...let me take care of everything..."_ ...let me take care of you._ The words left unspoken were the words he most meant.

"Thank you…" A faint smile showed on Risa's face as she stared at her savior. This faint smile, however, effortlessly painted a bright red on Satoshi's cheeks.

"It is part of my job." he said, looking away. Risa chuckled softly. He always takes things in a formal way. Then, she noticed how red his face was; she thought that perhaps it was because of the cold melting snow which dripped constantly down his face.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she took out her hanky.

"I'm—" Satoshi's eyes widened. He wasn't able to finish what he was about to say. He was surprised when Risa wiped his face with her hanky. For a moment, he was forced to stare right into her eyes, which he had tried so hard to avoid. His heart skipped a beat, but he managed to hide well how he felt. "-uh… thanks…" he then looked away.

It's a mystery to him how she started to make him feel that way. He feels odd whenever she smiles, talks… and even whenever she does nothing. He had hated himself for not understanding this feeling, but this odd feeling is something he'd never learn to hate. It took time and a lot of pondering to solve this mystery, but when it was deciphered, it took guts to accept the answer. He denied and sought for a better explanation, but now he has learned to accept it. He has learned to accept that Satoshi Hikari has finally fallen in love.

"Uhmm… Hiwatari-kun?" her voice snapped him out of his musings.

Still looking away, he asked, "What is it?" with a tone as emotionless as usual.

"Are we there yet?" she continued.

"We're here…"

He opened the door of his apartment and entered the lonely home where he has always lived alone, still carrying her in his arms. He went straight to his room and laid her down gently on his bed. "You could rest there for the night." He said as he gave her a thick warm blanket.

"But how about you?" she worriedly asked him, who was then fetching some pills from his drawer cabinet.

"Don't worry about me." he answered as he placed a few tablets on the table. That same table was where a lampshade, the only light source in his room at that night, stood. "I'll be right back." he went out of the room and headed to the bathroom to get a basin of cold water. Then, he soaked a towel in it, and carried the basin to his room. He squeezed the towel and placed it on her forehead.

Risa blinked several times, unsure of how to react. She found her tongue tied and her words caught in her throat. Finally, she was able to voice out something. "Um… i-is this really… okay?"

"I've said it. I would take care of everything for tonight." was his simple and emotionless reply. Risa blushed; maybe from the awkward feeling… maybe from his words… or maybe it's a mixture of both.

"Thank you" she whispered. Then, she added in, this time a little louder, "thank you very much. If you hadn't come, I don't know what would become of me." She looked down as she remembered something she wasn't supposed to think about now. Now that she thought about it, those were words she used to say to Dark whenever he saved her. It felt crazy; she never thought she'd be saying those words to Satoshi. "You know… this kind of reminds me of…"

He bit his lips. He knew what to expect, and that he wouldn't like it. Without a glance at her, he immediately interrupted, "It's nothing. Now please excuse me again..." then he instantly left for the kitchen.

"Uh… alright…" Risa replied, a little perplexed with his action. _"What was that just now? He seemed too eager to end the conversation all of a sudden." _She frowned at him for leaving too suddenly. But after moments of thought, she just sighed._ "Oh, well… maybe there's nothing to it. After all Hiwatari-kun never engaged in long conversations with anyone…"_ Her eyes inspected every corner of his room. She couldn't help but notice how spacious and utterly quiet it was.

"I wonder how it feels to live alone. How the heck is he able to take all the misery… not to mention, the boredom!" she whispered to herself, "but I must admit… I salute him for being so strong in facing all that he's been through…" she added, smiling as she closed her eyes to rest for a while.

Meanwhile, at the kitchen, Satoshi was browsing through his fridge for anything useful; something that could be made into something presentable… and edible. But as his hands flipped through the contents of his fridge, his mind drifted somewhere else. He remembered how she looked like as she thought about—as if there's a need to guess—Dark.

_"Is she still in love with him? If she is… what would happen if he ever comes back" _the thought lingered in his mind and made him feel weird inside. Somehow it was annoyance… somehow, pain. He sighed as he took out a cup of instant noodles and closed the fridge door. He lifted the lid, poured the seasonings into the noodles, and filled the cup with hot water. "Why am I even thinking about that? It's not as if he'd come back…" As if there was a reason to feel it, fear crept into his heart. "Why do I feel so afraid? They're not coming back. That'd be impossible." But somehow, his Hikari senses told him otherwise. He brushed the thought off his mind and went on with preparing food. He closed the lid of the cup and left a saucer on top of it to keep it sealed. Then, he went to the cupboard and took a teabag, then dropped it to a cup of newly-boiled hot water. When he went to check on the noodles, he almost wanted to kill himself for being stupid.

"Crap."

He palmfaced and sighed as he read the description on the lid: _"Instant Yakisoba"_

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A/N: To those who didn't get the last part, here's what happened: Satoshi accidentally picked instant Yakisoba (fried noodles) instead of instant Ramen. He cooked it the way Ramen is cooked, so it ended up as fried noodles… swimming in broth; in other words, an epic fail.

As for Dark and Krad, they've already been sealed in this story… or at least in this chapter. Just watch out for some twists and turns. Hope you'll still be with me 'till the next chapters.

Jaa…:D


	3. Taking Care of an Angel

Disclaimer: Okay… no matter how many times I retype this part, it will always contain the same sad truth… I DO NOT OWN DN ANGEL, thank you. Haha! Yeah, whatever.

A/N: Soooo late; yeah, I know, shame on me.T-T I'm really sorry for the very, very late update… I had some awful case of writer's block… and add that up to a ton of school workload, what do we get? Some highschooler staring at a black document sheet till she falls asleep.=Y

To those who patiently waited for this story's continuation, I'm very sorry for being on hiatus without notice. here it is now, I hope you like it. To those who had gotten tired of waiting, I can't blame you, thanks for reading this, anyway. (must kill franxie for this, I know..xp)

Anyway, here's something sweet… but I think I might be taking Satoshi a little out of his character. Ohnoes!D: I'll try my best not to…

Meh. Here it goes. Enjoy! Oh, and Merry Christmas!

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**iii. Taking care of an angel-erm-a guest**

Risa opened her eyes when she heard the doorknob turn. After a short kitchen trip, he's back with a tray of Ramen and tea.

"How do you feel?" he inquired, noticing how pale she was.

"A little better…" _I think_. She said, whispering the last two words to herself. "I just feel… 'a bit' dizzy." She was in fact feeling very terrible at the moment that the slightest movements she attempts to make cause the world around her to seem like wobbling.

"That might be because of hunger. Have you eaten yet?" he asked as he placed the tray on the small table beside her. Risa shook her head. "Then, will you please sit up for a while?"

She nodded and lifted herself on her elbows. He arranged her pillow so that it could support her as she sits to eat. Then, Satoshi lifted the tray of food.

"Do you think you can manage?" he asked.

"O-of course." she said with a nervous smile.

"Very well, then." he shrugged his shoulders, and then placed the tray gently on her lap. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks. Uhmm, aren't you gonna join me?"

"I've already had my dinner. Thanks for asking. Eat up so you can take your medicine sooner."

"Alrighty… itadakimasu!"

Satoshi picked up a book and sat on the couch found across the room, while she started to eat… rather, _tried to start_ to eat. When she lifted the spoon to her mouth, it slid from her grip and fell back into the bowl of Ramen, causing some of it to splatter onto her face and clothes. She noticed that her hands were very shaky.

"_I can't even hold on to anything… How would I eat like this?"_ she thought anxiously, wiping some Ramen soup off her face.

"Is something wrong?" Satoshi asked calmly, hearing the spoon's clatter. He stood up and closed his book.

"Uh… no! No! It's nothing! Don't worry!" she tried to hide the mess with a smile. However, Satoshi saw her wiping her face and made a wild guess on what just went wrong. He dropped his book and walked over to her bed. He sat beside her, then, pulled out a hankie from his pocket.

"Be careful, okay?" he said as he wiped her face with it. "You might hurt yourself."

"Uhmm… thanks." She can't look at him because of embarrassment.

"May I see you hand?" he asked, holding out his own.

"Why? I—"

"Please?" he insisted before she could reason out.

She sighed, then, reluctantly showed her hands to him. To her surprise he held them without any second of thought.

"They're terribly shaking." He worriedly remarked "and very cold. You must rest sooner." He took gloves from his cabinet and gave them to her. "Here, use these for a while."

"Thanks," she smiled gratefully as she took them. She wore the gloves and said, "I'm sure they'd feel better soon enough..."

She reached out for the spoon to try to eat once more, but Satoshi had taken it ahead of her, together with the Ramen from the tray. She blinked in surprise and confusion. "Hiwatari-kun?"

"I'll just help you. You might spill it again."

"No, you don't have to— I mean… this is... crazy! Come on, I can—" she stuttered and was right away interrupted by a very abrupt chuckle from Satoshi.

"You _**can**__?_ He repeated, putting emphasis on 'can'. "Harada-san, the last time I believed you, you ended up in a mess. You don't have to tell a lie… it is better that you tell me how you really feel, so that you could be treated accordingly. Besides," he scooped some soup and placed the spoon near her mouth. "if you call this crazy, I'd call letting you starve crazier. So please, let me aid you on this."

He was looking at her straight in the eye. Risa stared back at him. Her gaze penetrated his glasses, and she had a clear view of what's beyond: his crystal azure eyes that, for once, seemed to possess in them such joyful glimmer. No… not only his eyes; that same glimmer could be reflected in his very countenance.

"_Is he… is he smiling?" _She asked herself in wonder._ "Wow… he rarely smiled like this—no, I guess he never did. Besides, just a while back he seemed too cold to me… now he's—aargh! Risa you idiot! What are you thinking? He's just human, just Hiwatari Satoshi! I'm sure he knows how to smile like anyone else!" _she mentally slapped herself for being bothered by as simple a gesture as a smile,_ "but then again, that's exactly the point - he's Satoshi Hiwatari—the man who had always denied the world of his smile…"_

Truly, a smile from Hiwatari Satoshi was a sight she never expected to see, but there it was, right in front of her—and she had to admit that it was stunning. Not only that, there was just so much sincerity in his eyes that they sent a different kind of shiver down her spine. She felt herself blush and she looked down to hide it.

"Ehrm" he cleared his throat, which got her back to earth from wherever her mind had brought her. "The food is getting cold, Harada-san."

"Oh, uhmm… sorry…" she bit her lips and puffed her face like a balloon, thinking of just one last excuse and finding nothing. So she just sighed and at last gave in, opened her mouth, and let her 'caretaker' feed her.

"Ne, Hiwatari-kun, I was just wondering" she said after a few spoonfuls "Do you usually eat this kind of food? I mean, don't you cook anything other than instant food?" If it were another person, the comment would have been marked offensive, but knowing Risa Harada, she didn't mean it as she said it. He could tell her innocence from the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes. He smiled to himself and shook his head at how naive she could be sometimes.

"I see no point in cooking, since I live alone." He answered. As he said these words, she noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, and thought herself responsible for it.

"I'm sorry… " she looked down, once again embarrassed "it was kinda… stupid to ask you that."

"No, it's alright… what I meant was," Satoshi fumbled an excuse to make her feel less guilty "I usually don't have time to cook. And if I cook, there's a great chance it would just be wasted. So if I want to eat something, I find it more practical to just eat at a restaurant, or cook instant food."

"Ah, I see." She said, smiling in relief. "Hmm, you do have a point..."

"By the way, I already called your sister. I told her that I'll take you home tomorrow morning, but she insisted on fetching you." Risa nodded, and shyly smiled.

"It's better that way." she said. "You see, Hiwatari-kun… I thank you for all these, but they're making me feel a bit… uncomfortable. I've caused you a lot of trouble already. I'm so sorry." Satoshi saw how really embarrassed she was then.

"Nonsense," he said. "These is voluntary. I was not forced; not by anyone, not even by you. I volunteered myself to do this, so what trouble do you fear to have caused me?" Risa looked at him, as if wanting assurance for the words he just said. "Cheer up." He whispered. Risa's smile turned sweet.

"I wish I could do something to pay you back…" Satoshi placed the half-empty soup bowl with the spoon back to the tray as he looked away and sighed. Then, after a few seconds of silence, he spoke.

"You don't have to…"But his heart said otherwise. He knew he wanted something; but knew perfectly well that he couldn't have that which he desires so badly. So he pushed the thought aside, to some place in his brain where he wouldn't notice it. He picked the medicine tablets from the table. "Besides… I've got more reasons to pay you back than you have for me."

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything for you…"

"Did you not, really?" he whispered, flashing a mysterious look at Risa, which puzzled her greatly. There was silence; brief but very tense silence. Satoshi decided to break the awkwardness. "No, uh… nothing. Forget it. Just take these now so that you could get better fast." He said as he handed over the tablets to her.

"Thanks…" She took her medicine. Not long after, she yawned.

"You better rest now, Harada-san." he said.

"Yeah… you're right. Thanks a lot Hiwatari-kun!" She rested her head down and pulled up the blanket.

"It's my pleasure to help you." It was indeed; and he couldn't be more pleased with anything else. He turned to go back to the couch where he left his book.

"Oh, and Hiwatari-kun... good…" it was usually easy to say those two words, but why does she stutter now? "good… goodnight!" Satoshi halted when he felt a sudden peck upon his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise and he blushed, and it was a good thing that Risa couldn't see his face. He was clearly in surprise; for someone who lives alone, the simple common phrase "good night" was unusual enough, and to be given a kiss with it was a total topsy-turvy. It was like it took him forever just to absorb what happened.

"Uh…" he stood motionless for a second, and took a few steps to reach his seat. Finally, he replied "you shouldn't be moving so much, Harada-san. You might upset your stomach…" he tried hard to sound calm. "Good night." He picked up his book once more, holding it in a way that it would surely cover his still bright red face from her.

"I guess you're right." Risa smiled, massaging her forehead that suddenly throbbed from all those movement. "Jaa, I'm going to sleep now." She closed her eyes and prayed _"Dear God… thank you very much for sending me one of your angels to save me from the turmoil I got myself into. Thanks for letting Hiwatari-kun find me. Thank you so much…"_ Secretly, she glanced at him. She smiled and closed her eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Satoshi couldn't concentrate on the book he was trying to read. He was secretly watching her from the corner of his eyes, worried that something might suddenly go wrong. When he was sure that she's already asleep, he stood up and walked to her side. He leaned over and knelt by the side of her bed. He touched her forehead to check her temperature. He let out a sigh of relief.

"It's not as high as before anymore." He gently took some strands of her hair off her face. It was too late to realize that he could not take his eyes off her. He could only sigh as he remembered his conversation with her older twin.

**_*Flashback…_**

"_Good evening, Harada-san. This is me, Hiwatari Satoshi."_

"_Oh, Hiwatari-kun, it's a good thing that you called!" I was just about to call and ask you something—"_

"_Is it about your sister? She's with me, Harada-san. There's nothing to be troubled about." _He heard Riku sigh in great relief.

"_Oh! Thank heavens! I was so worried! But how on earth did she end up with you?"_

"_It's a long story… I was actually going to take her home a while ago, but we were caught in the middle of a blizzard. Going through it would be very unfavorable since she was burning with fever."_

"_Oh no! Risa has fever? How is she now? Oh… I'm so sorry, Hiwatari-kun! It might have caused you a lot of trouble! Do you want me to fetch her now?"_

"_No, thank you for your concern but it's fine with me. I'll just bring her home tomorrow. Her fever should subside soon, after a dose of medicine."_

"_No, Hiwatari-kun, that's too much already, I'll just fetch her. Thank you… thank you so much."_

"_It's nothing…"_

There was silence for a moment.

"_Harada-san, I'll be hanging up now, b—"_

"_I'm still worried…"_

"_Trust me," _Satoshi sighed_ "Everything is well taken care of. Your sister is fine."_

"_It's not her that I'm worried about. I know you'll take good care of her, there's no doubt to that…" _she said._ "But are you going to be alright? Hiwatari-kun, you don't have to do this…" _

"_Pardon?"_

"_Hiwatari-kun, we both know that Risa is still in love with Dark." _He bit his lips with what she said._ "You're kindness is too much, far too much that… you might end up hurting yourself. I know your love for her is true, but it's, it's…"_

"_Pointless?" _he sadly appended, almost in a whisper.

"_Unrequited…"_ she answered softly. Satoshi closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Then, smiling to himself, he spoke, quietly but firmly.

"_Does it matter?" _Riku was speechless. _"Anything, Harada-san… I'll endure anything for her. I loved her, not so that I could be loved back. I would take care of her and stay by her side when she needs me, even while she dreams of someone else."_

Riku was dumbfounded with his words. Right then she knew how blessed her sister was to be loved so truly by someone like him without any conditions. She almost cried tears of joy for her sister, and tears of sympathy for Satoshi. Their situation was breaking her heart, and how she wished she could help.

"_Thank you… I really, really thank you very much… I hope someday—"_

_Satoshi didn't let her finish. He said, "I'll accept whatever 'someday' shall bring… I'm not really wishing to have her… I just want her to be happy… even if…" he sighed " even if not with me…"_ Riku smiled.

"_I really can't find anyone who could give as much love as you could give her." _She sighed deeply_ "alright… I guess I got to go. I'm leaving her to your care for now, Hiwatari-kun. Thanks a lot again. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye!"_

"_Bye…"_

**_*End of flashback_**

How he wished the moment won't end. His most valued treasure right in front of him, sleeping like an angel. He was watching her sleep, cherishing the moment because he knows very well that it will end so soon. He never thought this could ever be possible in his lifetime; neither does he think it could ever happen again.

Her lips did look very inviting, and he would've taken advantage of the chance to kiss them, had he not resisted the urge to do so. He respects her as much as he loves her, and he wouldn't want to steal something he knows is very precious to his beloved. He caressed her face very gently with his fingertips, as if carefully but masterfully painting her face's every feature into his mind through his fingers.

She moved a little, which made him withdraw his hand. She seems to be dreaming. Then, she whispered something. A word; just a single word. It was, however, a word so powerful to be able to break him, regardless of how softly it had been spoken…

_ "Dark-san…"_

His eyes showed a hint of surprise, but soon enough, he was smirking.

"You're the only reason why I still go on with my life, yet you live for someone who doesn't exist anymore." He whispered sadly. "Dark, huh? It's silly how I'd been dying to stop him from stealing all of those superficially precious things, and how I let him get away so easily… with something I never thought would be this important to me. What hurts more is that it's something I could not retrieve."

" I…" he never noticed the tears that were already clouding his eyes. "I was so stupid to let him steal your heart, and then just let him break it. And now… you're here near me, yet you're still too far to be in my reach. I never thought that you'd be the most precious treasure to ever matter to me… but there's just no way that I can have you now." He began playing with some locks of her hair.

A few drops of his tears fell to her face, and it was only then that he realized he was crying. He immediately wiped away his tears. Then, she spoke again.

_"Why are you leaving me? Dark-san, it's raining… stay…"_

This was too painful for him, and it wasn't long before his tears had reassumed their places on his eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair one last time and leaned down to kiss her forehead again, whispering

"I will… and I won't leave you… ever."

He felt a very painful twitch in his chest. This pain… it's making him suffer more than how he suffered from Krad's assaults; this pain kills him silently and slowly.

_"How I wish I just never learned how to love. It might have been better that way."_ He thought to himself.

But because of that same love, he sacrificed most of his sleep and checked on her condition once in a while. When he was sure that she's already better, he took a nap.

_

* * *

_Okay, that was too long, sorry.:) I'll be posting the next chapter shortly; I don't want to leave you hanging—no, not during the Christmas Season. Feedback, anyone? Was it cheesy? (Franxie must really die for this)

Again, my greatest apologies to those who stayed tuned in and watched out for this story. I was really busy to continue posting. T-T

Thanks for all your reviews, by the way. I'm sorry I haven't replied yet. I would if I could, I promise.

God bless you!


	4. Hello and Goodbye?

Disclaimer: In case we all forgot, I DO NOT OWN DN ANGEL. Domo arigatou.:)

A/N: I told you so; 'soon', as promised.:) It's 4am here, and I haven't closed an eyelid yet. Oooooh! I just love vacations.:))

Chappie four! An 'intense for so many reasons' chapter. Please read on. Enjoy!:)

* * *

**iv: Hello and Goodbye?**

The next morning, he got up early to prepare breakfast. Risa woke up some time later. She looked around the room and found no one. So, she slowly stood up and fortunately, she was able to do it without being so dizzy anymore. She made the bed while humming a sweet tune, and stepped out of the room. Just as she opened the door, she saw Satoshi standing in front of her with a breakfast tray. He was supposed to take it to her, so that she wouldn't be obliged to stand up to get food. Peculiarly, however, his initial reaction when their eyes met was to look away.

"Good morning!" she greeted, anyway.

"Uh… 'Morning…" Satoshi just answered without looking at her.

Puzzled, she asked, "Are you alright?" She gasped when she noticed his somewhat swollen and reddish eyes "Hey… your eyes are—"

"They're perfectly fine…"

"But they're—"

"It's nothing." He interrupted again, facing away from her and toward the coffee table where Satoshi usually dines, if he ever does. She saw the piercing look of irritation in his eyes and realized that there was no point in arguing, so she just bit her lips and held the talk.

"Ugh, if you say so..."

* * *

They silently sat down on the chairs set up across each other around the coffee table. On the table were an omelet, some toast, and a bowl of soup for Risa. They each had a cup of hot chocolate drink to fight the bitter coldness that the winter morning brought that day. However, not even that seemed enough to fight the coldness Satoshi was showing toward Risa all of a sudden.

'_It's a mystery how he could change so drastically and suddenly'_, she thought. He picked up a newspaper from a nearby shelf, and opened it. Risa could barely see the person sitting in front of her… and Satoshi hopes in vain that this stupid act of covering the view in front of him with newspaper (which are days old now, by the way) would make him forget about his 'angel'—err—guest sitting across the table. But why is he trying hard to put up a brick wall between him and Risa anyway, when he was so warm to her just last night?

"Thanks for the meal!" she said, then, reached out for the spoon. It was really quiet that she felt her ears getting numb. "Uhmm… Hiwatari-kun…"

"Hm?"

"Uhmm… eh…" she fumbled for anything that could possibly start a conversation. The eerie aura was getting to her nerves. "Err…" _here goes nothing_ "do you own a pet?" She mentally slapped her face for the stupid question, and she blushed just as soon as she finished uttering it.

"You see one around?" he casually replied without sparing her a look as he turned to the newspaper's next page.

"Uhmm… no." Again, slap. There was no more reply from Satoshi, as if saying 'you just answered your own question for me.' For a few minutes, she went on eating quietly… and he went on scanning the paper for the nth time since it had been delivered to his house. Feeling sick of the dead silence, she gave it another shot.

"Uhmm… this homemade soup is delicious." She noted after taking a spoonful. "I didn't know you could cook well."

"Me neither. Compliments to the recipe… I only followed it." She pouted at how indifferent he could be. But hey, on the bright side, at least she got him to talk.

"Recipe, huh? She laughed, remembering something. She merely laughed… but Satoshi thought he heard music. "I once cooked with the aid of a recipe book. But it didn't turn out as well as this." She smiled. It could be told from her face that she was recollecting a sweet memory, with a touch of bitterness to it. "I still remember how pale Dark-san looked when he—"

"Your sister will come to pick you up in a while" Satoshi stirred uneasily at the sound of his name. She had hit a spot. He cut her off instantly, before the knife that seemed to have hit his heart could make its way deeper in. She was surprised at how oddly he had reacted, but she chose not to be nosy.

"Oh, alright…" she answered before taking another spoonful of soup into her mouth. _'Is it just me… or he reacts this way whenever I mention Dark?' _She wondered. Then, out of the blue, the picture of his swollen eyes flashed into her mind. _'His eyes... Was he crying?'_ Right at that moment, Satoshi flipped the newspaper, and she caught sight of something that glimmered in his eyes.

'_Oh my gosh!'_ She immediately shoved the newspaper into the table with one hand, stood up and looked at him straight in the eye.

"Harada… san?" shocked as he was, he no longer found time to wipe his eyes dry. Risa gave him a look of pity.

"I knew it." With her free hand, she reached out to touch his face, and gently wiped his tears with her fingers. Her warm and soft touch brought shiver down his spine. She smiled, "It's okay. Tell me… why?" she whispered. Satoshi only stared back into her eyes for a long time, arguing in his mind whether he would tell her or not. But that's only his mind; his heart has already decided, and for the first time, it took him over.

He held Risa's hand as she withdrew it from his face, with its back facing him.

"U—uhmm… Hi-hiwatari… kun…" Risa wanted to demand an explanation but was too dumbfounded to speak out straight. He held her hand to his forehead and started his confession.

"Forgive me…" Risa was really baffled at the weird turn of events that happened in less than a day. As he spoke, he bowed down and rested his forehead upon her hand, which was clasped between his. His elbows rested upon the table."It's completely out of my control. Harada-san. You... taught me that I could feel… an emotion that I have no dominion over. You… made me realize…" he slowly raised his head to face her. "that I was capable of falling."

Risa gasped with what she heard. He moved her hand close to his lips. He closed his eyes and gently kissed it. She was shocked. She could not react. He got to his feet and went right in front of her, her hand still held by his. He stood close to her, now holding her hand near his heart. Risa could feel its wild beating… it's just as fast as her heartbeat. With his free hand, Satoshi held her chin up, and very gently brushed his lips on hers, then, gazed upon her eyes like as if he needed it to find courage. Risa felt like she turned to an ice cold statue as they stared at each other's eyes.

His eyes… they never fail to captivate. She was trapped inside those glassy orbs, as he was on hers. His hand made its way from her chin to her cheek. He closed his eyes, then again, he leaned closer. This time to plant a kiss unto her lips.

"_Hiwatari-kun? He... he is... in love with me?"_ Risa yelled in her mind. Her eyes were wide with surprise. _"b-but—no…" _ He gave her an innocent kiss; so gentle that it melted Risa slowly. Without her awareness, her wide open eyes gradually closed. _"…this… can't be."_

"_Why… why does his kiss make me feel… weird? It's…"_ her hand travelled from his heart, where his hand left it, to his shoulder… then slowly, to his nape. "…it's making me weak… but I can't break away… could it be…"

She had completely given in and returned his kiss. "…could it be that I… "

As their kiss went deeper, her eyes shot open and her senses came back to her all at once. _"NO! No, I can't be! I shouldn't be!"_ Upon realizing that she was actually kissing him back, she immediately pulled away and slapped his face out of impulse and confusion. She was shocked by what she had done. She was catching her breath.

"What…" she whispered, gasping for air. "what did I just do?"

For a second no one said a word. Then, Satoshi faced her, touching the spot that was hit by her hand. He forced a smile upon his lips. "I... guess I deserved that." He said looking straight into her eyes. Still, she didn't know what to answer. His eyes were just too... fascinating.

"_What should I do now?"_ she asked herself. Then, she started to mutter "I… I'm—"

"_Ding-dong."_

They heard the door bell. It was Riku.

Risa shook her head, "I don't know!" she finally shouted out of her mumblings, her eyes tightly closed "I- I can't… understand you… o-or myself…" she said in confusion "no, not anymore…" she told him, looking straight into his eyes with tears on her own. Those tears stabbed his heart. He attempted to wipe them but she shoved his hand away and ran out to her sister.

It hurt like nothing worse, but he knew that he just couldn't do anything more than watch her, his most precious treasure—no–the treasure that had never been, and never will be his run away.

He peeked through his window and saw Risa crying on the shoulder of her sister, who waved at him before entering the cab. Satoshi felt his world shatter. It was great joy to have her around that he wished she would never have to leave.

He closed his window and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes tightly as he ran his hand through his hair with a sigh of regret.

"What have I done?" he buried his face into his hands as his mind flashed every single thing that happened earlier. He ran his fingers over the spot where she slapped him, giving out another sigh.

Suddenly...

"_Oh, poor Satoshi… his sacred maiden just slapped him squarely on the face."_ His eyes shot open when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from his head.

"I must be imagining." He said to himself.

"_No, Satoshi-'sama'… no you aren't… does it hurt?"_ it continued to insult him. Then, what he feared the most transpired. That familiar feeling; it came over him again when it shouldn't. The contraction of his chest, the burning heat inside, the transformation.

"KRAD!" he hissed as he clutched his chest in pain.

"_Hahaha… I thought you have forgotten me."_ He laughed sarcastically _"How are you? Didn't you miss me?"_ he continued laughing.

"You never… stopped haunting my nightmares!" he said in between his shortening breathes. He managed to hold on to his window sill and stand. "You… you get out of my body! Leave me alone!" he shouted.

"_Make me…"_ Krad answered, laughing mockingly.

He saw his reflection on his window. His other eye was turning into the beast's golden orb.

"No… NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

* * *

A/N: Tadaa! a twisted twist, that was.:)

Here you go.:) I hope I'd be able to post the next chapters shortly... but they need a lot of editing sooo... I'll see what I can do.:)

Once again, Merry Christmas! (I'm gonna get myself some sleep )

GlaceonHearts: Hi! Thanks for leaving a review on the previous chapter. It was a good morning motivation.:)

Merry Christmas! Thanks for staying with me in this story. I hope I don't bore you. haha!:)


	5. The Past Revived

**Disclaimer:** Me not own DN Angel.

A/N: Chappie 5, finally here! Yeah, I know. I suck. It's been… uhmm... eons. I'm really sorry.

Thing is, I've been quite busy, getting into college and all... I'm reaaaally sorry!T^T

Anyway, here we go.;)

v. The Past Revived

As soon as the twins reached their house, Risa immediately ran to her room and locked herself in. She threw herself onto her bed and buried her face on her pillow, still crying. The scenes from what happened a while ago replayed vividly in her mind, making her heart beat loudly. She sat up and hugged her pillow.

"_Why do I feel this way? "_ she thought aloud. _"I cannot understand. What is this?"_

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Risa?" Riku worriedly called out from behind the door. "Risa, what's the matter?"

Her twin didn't answer. "Risa, open up… please? Let's talk about it." Still, there was no response. Riku was so troubled and she'd never stop until she finds out what's wrong.

"Okay… Risa, if you don't open this door now, I'll go get the key and—"

To her surprise, the doorknob turned, and Risa opened the door widely. When she did, there was nothing but a blank expression on her face, with a few traces of tears on her swollen eyes. She made herself look 'okay' before getting the door.

"There you are." Riku sighed, somehow relieved. "What happened anyway?"

Risa was ready to deny and say that nothing was wrong, but her eyes betrayed her. The moment she opened her mouth to speak, her eyes flooded with tears. She was never good at holding back, and she couldn't help but bury her face on her sister's shoulder as she embraced her.

"Risa?" she called out gently, stroking her baby sister's hair. "Don't worry, I'm here. You could tell me what's wrong."

Risa mumbled incoherently amidst her sobs.

"Risa, just… breathe… relax. I'll listen to every word you say, but first let's get seated." Riku said, trying to calm her sister down as she led her to sit on the bed. "Okay, now, take a deep breath. Do you want me to get you some water?"

Risa, who had managed to control her sobs, just shook her head. There was a short moment of silence as Riku waited for her to be ready. She decided not to ask further.

"Riku…" she started with a rather croaky voice. "I'm so sorry for all the crying… it's just that, I really can't understand… it's not easy." Riku just thoughtfully nodded.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay… go on."

"Y-you see… Hiwatari-kun just… a-a while ago, he…" she stuttered, not sure how to put the story in order as her own thoughts remained disorganized. She closed her eyes, then, slowly and deeply inhaled. And then, she let it all out.

"Hiwatari-kun… just confessed to me."

_I see._ Riku bit her lips. Somehow, she wasn't shocked, as she had been witness to Satoshi's unconditional love for her sister. "Then, what did you do?" she asked.

Risa's eyes widened, as she didn't see the question coming, and wasn't sure if she could tell Riku her answer. "M-me? I…" Risa hesitated. Riku tilted her head, listening eagerly, a little impatient with the cliffhangers. With her voice shaking, Risa continued.

" I… I kind of… well… " Risa inhaled another lungful of air, then whispered "…I slapped him."

"Whoa! Seriously… y-y-you did that?!" Riku jumped off her place on the bed, finding what her sister just confessed really rude. "Risa, there are nicer ways to tell someone you don't like them! You didn't have to do that!"

"Riku!" Risa pouted, and gave her sister a stare that translated to _'get-a-hold-of-yourself-this-is-my-moment'._ Riku cleared her throat and returned to her seat, sighing in disappointment. "W-well, h-he ki—"_did something" so—_anyway, believe me, I didn't want to do that! I was just… so confused. I wasn't in control of what I was doing. You see… everything that happened a while ago was really unexpected. But what surprised me more was everything that I… felt."

"What do you mean?" _Could it be?_ Riku somehow comprehended what her sister just said, and she couldn't help but be happy. Meanwhile, Risa looked like she was deep in contemplation. It took a while, then, she spoke again.

"You know what? Hiwatari-kun made me feel so safe, that nothing could ever go wrong as long as he's around. And then, those tears, when I saw them, I felt something weird in my heart. It was…" she paused, with an expression on her face as someone who was trying to discern a code. "It was painful—really, badly painful."

"Risa," Riku sighed, "I've kept a secret. I have known. Hiwatari-kun… he's been in love with you for a long time now. Perhaps he didn't want to let you know at first 'cuz he was afraid you'll turn away. I could see that he just couldn't bear to lose you, you know? He's ready to do everything for you. But he said that he'd be happy with wherever you are happy. Even if you don't love him, it's fine, as long as you are happy." Risa looked briefly at Riku, then held her pillow closer to her face to hide her flushed face.

"But Risa… how do you feel about him?" Riku asked, looking straight into her sister's eyes.

Risa paused for a moment.

"I…" she bit her lips "I don't see anything wrong with him. Well, I actually like being with him, I… like him… but something holds me back. There is something cold that creeps into my heart whenever he gets too close. I feel like… I don't want to hold on to him… for he might, all of a sudden, leave me alone." A tear escaped from her eye again.

"Risa… are you afraid?" Riku asked, holding her hands.

"Well..." She merely hugged her pillow tighter and closed her eyes.

"But think… what do you fear more? Listening to your heart and keeping him close… or staying in denial and pushing him away unintentionally?" Risa's eyes opened. They looked troubled. "Think hard about that, before it's too late..." she glanced at Riku with questioning eyes, as if looking for a hint on what she must do. As if Riku heard her silent question, she shrugged.

"Well, only you could decide which path to take. It's getting late, Risa. Go to sleep. Remember, we've still got a week to deal with before vacation."

Risa wiped her tears away, and tried to smile, "Goodnight Riku. Thanks a lot."

"Anytime you need me." She smiled and hugged her sister. "Goodnight." Then she went to her own room.

The next day, the twins went to school early. As their usual routine, Risa took the train while Riku went to school on the bike they share. On the station, she saw someone she didn't expect to see…

"Hiwatari-kun?" she whispered to herself at the sight of the blue-haired boy. "What is he doing here?" their eyes met unexpectedly but she looked away.

When she was getting off the train, her mind was still so mixed-up that she missed a step and almost stumbled down, but she was luckily caught into someone's arms. When she looked up to see who it was, she saw a pair of light blue eyes staring down at her. It was Satoshi. She felt like her heart just missed a beat. She felt good to stare at those eyes again. But suddenly, there was that same feeling of fear creeping. He helped her stand properly and when he knew that she could already do by herself, he let her go.

"Thanks." She said looking down.

"Be careful …" There seemed to be more to that reminder. It felt almost like a warning. Although feeling odd, Risa just nodded then turned to leave. In school, they never spoke to each other. There was merely an occasional exchange of glances between them until...

1:30pm, P.E class. The class of Risa was at the pool area for swimming lessons. Everybody was in their swimsuits, except for Mr. Genius, who had no plans of getting into the water. He stayed at a corner, sitting with his arms crossed.

"Hiwatari-kun, 'you alright?" Daisuke asked concerned, seeing him too quiet with a preoccupied expression on his face. He was staring blankly at the bug on the floor.

"The bug's not gonna talk to you, you know?" Satoshi gave him a mild glare. Daisuke sweat-dropped.

"Oh c'mon! I was just trying to make you laugh!"A_lthough I know that that's quite impossible,_ Daisuke added in his mind. "Hahah!"

Satoshi still didn't say a word. Daisuke went on laughing.

"Hahahah! hehe…" seeing no reaction, he sweated even more. Satoshi looked away from him and sighed. Daisuke swallowed the rest of his laugh. "Uh…well I guess that wasn't very funny, huh? Hmmm… what's the matter?"

"Nothing… everything's fine." Satoshi finally answered.

"Well alright… 'guess I'll have to believe that for a while. Just tell me what's wrong when you're ready, alright?"

"Of course." Satoshi said, forcing a bit of what he meant to be a smile.

"Alright then, I'll be leaving you for a while." He said, waving goodbye to Satoshi.

"Sure." Satoshi returned to his worries that he knew would be too dangerous to share. Then, he felt a sudden twinge of pain in his head. He clasped his head with both hands, making sure that no one noticed. Then, there goes that same sarcastic laugh that haunted him yesterday.

"Not here, Krad!"

"_Why? Do you find me too disturbing now? Why, it's been just a few months!" Krad said mockingly._

Satoshi was getting enraged. "Go on, laugh all you want. After all, you won't be able to laugh again." he hissed.

"_What are you gonna about it? Seek the help of Niwa? Well I don't think he'll be able to do anything, because I will terminate him soon." Krad continued to mock._

Satoshi chuckled, "Leave him alone. Besides, I don't need him to get rid of you."

"_That doesn't matter. Whether you need him or not, I'll get rid of him, together with the youngest of the twins… oh, is she not your sacred maiden?"._

"You're really pushing it, Krad. Do anything to her and I swear I won't be able to forgive you. Now, hush yourself!"

There was silence within him again, but suddenly, there was commotion around him. He immediately stood up to check on his classmates. Risa had drowned! Without thinking, he took off his shoes and shirt, and plunged in to rescue her. Everyone around the pool watched nervously, but no one could match the anxiety of Riku. They were all relieved when/ Satoshi got out of the water; in his arms was Risa, who was, however, unconscious. He laid her gently on the floor, he was all wet and panting but he didn't care. Everyone was staring.

She wasn't breathing. Something needed to be done fast. She needed a CPR. Everyone watched breathlessly. It was as if she was Sleeping Beauty, being kissed by her prince to be woken up. Finally, "Sleeping Beauty" was awakened and she coughed out all the water she drank. The first thing she saw was the anxious pair of blue eyes of her—once again— savior. Satoshi, Riku and Daisuke sighed in relief.

"Hiwatari-kun…" she whispered, then, she fell unconscious again. The teacher approached them.

"Thank you so much, Hiwatari-kun. You did well. Is she alright now?"

"She will be with some rest, Sensei. She must be tired." Satoshi answered.

"Thank goodness. Do you mind carrying her to the clinic?" their teacher asked. He looked at his teacher for a moment and returned his gaze on Risa.

"No sensei. Not really." He lifted her in his arms and prepared to carry her to the clinic.

"And by the way, Hiwatari-kun… will you please accompany her 'til she wakes up? I'm sorry for such a big favor, but our school nurse is on leave. I think you're the only man for the job. You'll be able to monitor her condition if you are there. So please, will you?" It took him some time to answer. He was afraid that Krad might suddenly come out and harm her. Riku was about to volunteer to do it for him but he suddenly answered.

"It's okay, sensei. I'll do it."

When they arrived at the clinic, he gently laid her on the bed and set a chair a little far from her bed. It felt nostalgic. Everything that happened in his place flooded back to his mind. He stared at her the whole time. He stood up and walked around the infirmary. His feet talk him all around the room, except to where they really wanted to go—that is, near her. But then, he couldn't resist her forever.

He turned around and reluctantly walked closer. He reached out his hand to touch her forehead. It was a little hot. Perhaps her fever returned. He laughed, remembering how he found her that snowy night. While he was deep in reverie, she stirred. He immediately withdrew his hand. She opened her eyes, which found his own easily. She moved to sit but Satoshi stopped her.

"Don't move much… your fever might come back. How do you feel?" he asked concerned "Is anything wrong?" Risa wasn't able to answer. Again, they were staring at each other's eyes in meaningful silence. There was just too much left unsaid, but he broke the silence and their eye-lock.

"I'll go tell sensei and your sister that you're awake." Then, he immediately turned to leave. He barely took a step, however, when he found himself rooted to where he stood.

"Harada..?" he found it hard to believe that it was her arms that was holding him in place, embracing him from behind.

"Hiwatari-kun…" he melted at the sound of his name coming from her lips. It took all his strength to move to break that sweet embrace. He reached up to loosen her grip around him.

"Harada-san… please." he whispered. She only held him tighter.

"Hiwatari-kun…" She finally spoke. "Last night..."

"Look, I'm so sorry about—"

"Last night," she went on, not giving him a chance to say anymore of his unnecessary apology. "I… realized many things."

Satoshi knew he must break free and stay away, for his heart was beating uncontrollably. But he could not move a muscle, no words found their way to his lips. And he knew he actually wanted this.

"I realized that… I have found someone who holds a special place in my life... and that it would be stupid to let him go, just because… just because I feel scared to get hurt."

Satoshi was torn by what he heard. Nothing could have made him happier than to hear those words, but he felt a twinge of regret for ever telling her how he felt, knowing now that he could barely stay near her.

"Harada-san…" he held her hand as he untangled from her embrace. He faced her and touched her hair. He could only stare at her for a long time. His lips repeatedly moved, as if to say something, but he only ended up closing them, wordless.

Then, Risa moved a step closer. And another. Their faces were now only a breath apart. And she leaned forward to kiss him.

But he knew he needed to stop her. To tell her to go away. To keep her safe. Reluctantly, he looked away.

"Don't." He said as she was about to kiss him. "I'm sorry, Harada-san…" he looked away.

"What do you mean?" she was confused, and scared that her fears might be coming true. "I thought you said—"

"What I said, all of them, are true. But…" he bit his lips, hesitating. How would he tell her? Then, he smiled. "Whatever happens, know that my life has been worth living because of you. You'll always be the sole reason why I chose to live on, and I'll do anything to protect you. Whatever happens, Risa…"

"Whatever happens," He leaned in and whispered to her ears. "I love you…"

Risa couldn't say a word. She was too puzzled and overwhelmed to speak.

_Why is he saying these things? It's as if he's saying goodbye, _she thought.

Out of control, her tears began to stream down her cheeks. Satoshi could not look at her. He mustered every ounce of strength left of him and turned to go. He had to do it. He had to leave her. And though it was the hardest thing to do, he had to break her heart. But she stopped him from going. She held his hand, and his resolve was broken. One look into her eyes and he could not move another step away.

"Stay with me." She pleaded. He reached to wipe her tears away, and his hand was glued to her angelic face. His eyes were locked on hers. And then, his lips gravitated towards hers.

A kiss. Of all the things he had done, this, by far, was probably the most stupid. But of all the stupid things he had done, this by far felt most right.

Suddenly, Satoshi's eyes bolted open and he immediately pulled away from their kiss. His glasses shattered on the floor. He clutched his chest where he felt sudden pain; it was tightening and his heart was pounding like crazy. He was down on his knees.

"Hiwatari-kun! What's the matter?!" this was all scaring Risa out of her wits. She knew that something not normal was happening. Satoshi was panting; he was struggling in great pain.

"_Get ready to lose your beloved, Satoshi-sama."_ There was Krad's voice again.

"No! You can't harm her as long as I live!" he hissed.

"Hiwatari-kun?" she whispered, trembling in fear.

He used all his force to control Krad. He knew he should do something to save her. She reached out a hand to touch him but Satoshi shoved it away,.

"Don't touch me!" Risa gasped in horror when she saw that his right eye has turned from blue to gold.

"What the—?!"

"This is nothing! Go! I'll be fine!" Satoshi immediately covered his eye and said.

"But—"

"I said go!" Risa hesitantly got up as fast as she could, locked the door and ran out with all her strength.

"_You think that's gonna stop me? I thought you're smart!" _then Satoshi felt intense pain on his back.

"My wings…" he whispered. "No…" He stood up with all his might and groped for something at the medicine cabinet.

Meanwhile, Risa ran to her sister right away.

"Riku! We got to help him!" she said to her sister, panting.

"What? Who?"

"Satoshi-kun is in danger! Krad is—"

"Krad is back…" Risa's eyes widened when she heard that familiar voice. She faced the direction from which the voice came from and gasped at what she saw.

"Dark-san…" she whispered in surprise.

"'Yo… been quite a while." the alter ego of Daisuke, who had come back together with Krad answered.

"Oh…" was all Riku could say, glaring at that "pervert" she used to hate. Risa walked towards him. She clasped her hands together.

"Please…" her eyes were now tear-stained. "Help him…" Dark smirked and patted her head

"I see, you've already moved on…" Risa was surprised by the casual remark, but a smile made its way to her lips. Dark smiled, as well.

"_Let's go, Dark… there isn't much time left." _Daisuke said in his mind.

"What's the plan?" Risa asked.

"We have to get back to the museum and return me and Krad to the Dark Wings."

"How are we gonna do that?" Riku asked in turn.

"I'll take care of Krad. Now somebody call Emiko. I think Kosuke can help us with an artifact that can suck us out of our tamers body and return us to the Statue"

"I'll do it." Risa volunteered.

The three ran back to the school clinic. On their way, a puzzled teacher asked Riku what was going on.

"It's an emergency, ma'am. I think it would be best to send the students home. The Phantom Thief is back, along with his evil twin, Krad. Krad is very dangerous. He is eager to kill anyone!"

"What proof do you have, Miss Harada?" They heard a loud noise from the clinic followed by the screams of some students. With that the teacher hurried to call a suspension order and sent everyone out of the building.

"Attention, everyone. Please move out of the building now. Don't panic. Just relax and move out of the building to a safe place. Everything will be fine, don't worry."

Takeshi phoned his dad to send the police to Azumano High.

A/N: Okay, I had to break it here because it's already too long. Next chappie's on its way. Pronto.  
Again, my apologies to the ones who read, and waited, and actually liked this fic. I had to take a break from writing because of acads. (Yes, the sad life we lead./3)

Anyway, I thank you soooo soooo much; I am deeply humbled. I am so sorry if I could not give time to Fanfic anymore.:( Thanks, everyone!

Lotsa love, Franxie.


	6. The End of All Pain

Chappie 6! Enjoy!^^

-  
vi. The End of All Pain

The noise was made by Dark; he destroyed the infirmary door which Risa was asked to lock a while ago. What they caught sight of was Satoshi fighting Krad from within, struggling to end it all by killing himself with a knife he found from searching the drawers.

"OI! Stop! That won't help you, you brat!" Darks voice echoed through the room and stopped both from struggling against each other. Dark used his powers to get the knife off Satoshi's hand, who was at that moment already in the form of Krad.

"_Oh, hello… looks like we're having a reunion. It was nice of you to join me here, Dark. Too bad you'll have to leave soon."_ Krad laughed.

"Aww, don't be sad. I'll make sure not to leave without you." Dark answered with furious eyes.

"_We'll see about that."_ And Krad began the battle, sending his sharp glowing feathers to Dark's direction.

Dark was able to dodge them. He immediately flew towards him and grabbed Krad by his golden flowing hair. He bound him tightly with his magic. Krad struggled hard but could not break free.

"Let's settle this somewhere else." Dark flew him to the Azumano Museum where the Dark Wings was kept. The twins ran to follow them. They were both praying hard that nobody would get hurt. Riku thought of Daisuke, and Risa worried about Satoshi. Media and policemen followed the familiar aerial battle scene which they have not witnessed for months.

Krad used an enormous amount of magic; an explosion followed. He broke free from Dark's binds. There was a great struggle between the two angels. Krad unsheathed his sword; Dark followed his lead. The clash and clang of their blades echoed through the air.

"Stop this already, Krad!" Dark said. "Let your tamer be. He deserves to have a good life!"

"He will have one… if he surrenders to me! Hahaha!"

"_How much longer will it take, Dark?" _Daisuke asked from within.

"I don't know." Dark answered in his mind. "But I'm sensing that Emiko is getting near. I'm sorry if I'm causing you a lot of pain, Daisuke."

"_No. It's okay. It's after all my choice. I want to help him."_

"We will make Krad go away, Daisuke. Don't worry."

And the battle went on. Krad struggled to kill Dark, but the latter was only aiming to bind him and immobilize him. He could not kill him with Satoshi inside him. He glanced at Risa; the anxiety in her eyes was unfathomable. This gave him more fire. He broke her heart once; never again will he allow it to happen.

Finally, Emiko, Daiki and Kosuke arrived, carrying a magical artifact. It was a huge mirror that can suck up a strong force out of a person's body. They placed it in front of the Black Wings statue and got ready to perform the ritual.

"Dark!" Emiko shouted "This may take a while. Hold him as long as you can, please."

"No problem!"

"_You'll never get me into that trash!" _Krad threw an attack to Emiko and the rest of them performing the ritual, but Dark shielded them from it. He took the attack for himself and fell to the ground. The twins gasped in terror, but were relieved when he got up and swiftly dashed back to Krad to stop him from further attacking them.

A few minutes later, Emiko shouted to Dark again.

"Position him in front of the mirror now!" Dark stunned Krad and grasped him tightly. He dragged him in front of the mirror_._

"NO!" Krad struggled. Satoshi stopped him from within with all his force. "You'll regret going against me!" Krad hissed angrily at him.

"_No. No I won't…"_ Satoshi answered. _"In fact, this is what I've always longed for."_

Dark succeeded to drag him in front of the mirror. It started sucking them out of their tamers' bodies.

"NOOOO!"_ Krad screamed._

"This is where we belong, Krad." When they were finally separated from their tamers, Dark smiled at Daisuke for a brief while and saluted him. Daisuke, who fell safely to the ground with Satoshi, chuckled and did the same. Then, Dark glanced at Risa and smiled at her. Risa's hands were clasped together and her eyes were sore from crying.

"Thank you." She smiled back and whispered.

But it wasn't over. Krad would not give up. He managed to gather all his remaining force and throw a dagger of feathers aimed at Risa. Dark immediately pulled him back into the mirror which started reflecting them back to the statue. But the dagger could no longer be stopped.

"Risa! No!" Satoshi ran as fast as he could to shield Risa from the Krad's final attack. The world slowed down as Satoshi ran to embrace her. And she felt it—the impact of the knife that was supposed to stab her; the knife Satoshi took for himself. Risa was saved from the blade of revenge but unfortunately, it stabbed Satoshi on his back. He gasped in pain. His embrace loosened. For a moment she could not move. She felt cold and afraid. More afraid than she had ever been her entire life.

"Hiwatari-kun!" Risa shouted as Satoshi fell on his knees in front of her. He coughed blood; lots of blood. He supported his body with his arms using all the strength he had left. Risa saw his strength declining fast, and she immediately knelt down to catch him when his tired arms gave way.

"Riku! Call the ambulance right away!" she said in panic.

"I-I'm already doing it!" Riku said, her fingers shaking, desperately trying to be calm and dial fast despite the situation. Risa was holding Satoshi in her arms, embracing him as he coughed more and more blood.

"Hiwatari-kun…" she whispered in his ears. He was breathing deeply but rapidly and he was finding it hard to talk. She smiled and said, "It's almost over. We'll just get you well and everything will be normal again, this time, forever."

Satoshi rested his head on her shoulder. She held him closer and embraced him.

"Please… please hold on. Just keep holding on… for me…" she whispered again, together with tears flooding her eyes. Everyone was quietly watching when they finally heard the ambulance coming.

Right away, he was brought to the Emergency Room of the hospital, while his friends and sacred maiden waited anxiously outside. Risa was praying hard at a corner, her tears streaming down out of control. Riku sat beside her and embraced her to comfort her.

"You there, stop crying. I'm sure Hiwatari-kun wouldn't want to see you like that." she said as she patted her back.

"I'm sorry..." Risa answered in between her sobs. She wiped her tears, but soon she was crying even harder.

"Harada-san, it will be alright." Daisuke, who was equally worried, comforted her. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Harada-imouto, why are you so worried about him?" It was Takeshi who just came in, bringing cups of tea for everyone and trying to lighten up the situation. "He survived on instant noodles long enough, he wouldn't die from a stab wound!" He approached Risa and handed her a cup of tea. "And stop crying! I'm sure that guy who doesn't even know how to smile will laugh at you if he sees your eyes like that."

Riku eyed him angrily but Risa choked and actually tried to stop crying.

"Meanie! I'm sure it doesn't look that bad!" she retorted. Everyone around laughed, to which she blinked in surprise. "Uh... well does it?" she asked seriously.

"Of course not. We were just trying to make you laugh. Relax, Risa-chan… relax." Emiko smiled.

"Thanks guys. But I'm sure you know how hard it is." She whispered. Riku just held her closer to make her feel better. "But thank you, everyone." Risa smiled warmly. She took the tea from Takeshi and took a sip. Soon, she was feeling better. After finishing the tea, she fell asleep.

Risa woke up a few hours later with a tap on her shoulder. It was a doctor. The others left her and Riku alone in the waiting area for a while to buy some food.

"I'm looking for Niwa Emiko-san, do you know her?" the doctor asked Risa.

"Yes, I do know her. I'm actually with her." She said as she stood from the lobby's bench.

"That's great. You are?"

"Risa, Ma'am. Harada, Risa. Uhmm… how is Hiwatari-kun?"

"Oh… we just had some blood transfused to him a while ago. It was not easy for him, having low blood pressure and losing all that blood. We were lucky to easily find a match to his blood type. I thought he wouldn't make it, but now he's responding well." Risa was relieved to hear those words. Then, the doctor eyed her meaningfully and smiled, "It is a pleasure to meet the one who kept Hiwatari-kun fighting. You know, he whispered your name many times." She added in a gleeful whisper, which made Risa blush. She did not know how to respond. "Well, Miss Harada, you can go to room 207 and visit him now."

"Really? Oh, thank you!" Risa was overjoyed.

And the doctor bid Risa goodbye. "Take care of your boyfriend! You are lucky to have him."

She blushed more furiously, but thanked the doctor again anyway. "What's with her?" she said to herself, but she was secretly overjoyed at the thought of being with Satoshi at last.

"Riku, I'll go visit Hiwatari-kun."

"Yeah. I'll wait for the others and we'll join you in a while."

She headed for Satoshi's room. She peeked inside and saw him sleeping, so she decided to enter as quietly as she can. She sat by his bed and watched him sleep. She smiled, but tears of joy flooded her eyes. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What are you crying for?" Risa heard a faint, gentle voice say. She opened her eyes, lifted her head and dried her tears. Satoshi struggled but managed to sit and lean on his back. "Am I dead?"

Risa glowered at him and slapped his face rather sharply.

"Ow! That kinda hurt… what a loud, painful way to say no." Satoshi remarked as he touched his face "But may I know what made me deserve that this time?" He continued in a calm and even teasing tone.

"That was for being an idiot! You could've died there, you know?!" Risa shouted, she looked away and folded her arms across her chest. She felt her tears trickle down from her eyes to her cheeks again. Satoshi chuckled as he wiped the tears away, softly saying, "I'm not sorry, then. I might have been an idiot for doing that, but it would be more stupid to let you die."

Risa wasn't able to hold back anymore. She embraced him tight as she burst into tears.

"But WHAT IF you died, IDIOT?!" she shouted "What… what do you think would happen?" She continued as she sobbed like a child. "It would be very unfair! What were you thinking? You would make me open up my heart just to have it broken again? I would curse you if you did that…" Her sobs grew quieter. "What were you planning… to die to protect me? Is it so hard to understand? What I need is… just you. As long as you are with me, I'll be fine... so please… promise me… just stay close…" she lifted her head and glared at him again as she said, "And don't ever do anything that stupid again!"

Satoshi sighed and a smile formed on his lips. He kissed her forehead and then held her closer.

"I don't hold my life. I can't promise much… but I do promise not to hurt you… I'll protect you through whatever. I love you, Risa." He whispered in her ears.

"I love you too, Hiwatari— Satoshi-kun… and I promise… I'll never be afraid anymore." Risa answered, lifting up her head. Satoshi wiped her tears away.

"Now stop crying. You'll be dehydrating yourself if you continue that. You've been crying since yesterday, try to take a break." he said, trying to look as serious as he can be.

"Your sarcasm." Risa rolled her eyes and chuckled, which Satoshi answered with a smile.

"Get used to it."

Then, a knock was heard on the door. The rest of the group came in to join them.

Satoshi found his Sacred Maiden at last. And he also found his place in the world.

Fin.

YAY! Finally.:)

I hope you liked the ending. Again, thank you so much for supporting this fic. I am once again so sorry for making you wait so long.

I am not sure if I could go on with writing fanfic, but I will definitely try. I hope I could spend time with all the creative, and awesome fanfic people here who loves SatoRisa and DNAngel. It has been wonderful sharing ideas and stories with all of you. God bless everyone!3

Lotsa love, Franxie.:p


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